‘Tis the season for the annual speculation about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Christmas plans. Prince Harry and Meghan have not spent Christmas in the UK since 2018. Their children have NEVER spent Christmas in Sandringham or on British soil. You would think six Christmas holidays spent outside the UK would indicate a pattern of “the Sussexes do not give a f–k about Christmas at Sandringham.” Well, the Windsors and their courtiers refuse to acknowledge that pattern, just like they refuse to acknowledge that Harry and Meghan are happily creating their own “California Christmas” traditions in Montecito. From Katie Nicholl’s latest at Vanity Fair:
It’s not just Prince Andrew who won’t be celebrating Christmas with the royals at Sandringham this year. Prince Harry will also not be getting an invite, according to a friend of the royal family.
Despite Prince Harry’s recent face-to-face meeting with King Charles, “it’s not the case that Harry is going to be welcomed back with open arms and certainly not in time for Christmas,” a friend of the royal family told Vanity Fair. “As far as the king is concerned, the door has always been left open for Harry, but Harry has to pass the trust test. If he does, then I think there could well be another meeting in the new year.”
Although King Charles has been willing to meet with Harry, Prince William has “no intention” of speaking to his brother, the source said. “With things being so dire between William and Harry, I’m not sure Harry would even want to be at Sandringham for Christmas,” the source added. “It would be very awkward. He knows he’d probably get quite a frosty reception from most of the family.”
When reached for comment by Vanity Fair, a spokesperson for Prince Harry declined to comment on his Christmas plans. Buckingham Palace did not respond to a request for comment.
I’ll say the same thing I say every year: King Charles is a f–king moron. The calculation should have been made years ago, that the Sussexes don’t even want to trek to Sandringham for Christmas, so it would look much better to just invite them. You know what I’m saying? Charles would look like the bigger man, he would look generous of spirit and like he actually loves his redheaded son. It would put the onus on Harry, and Harry would have to be the one saying “actually, I don’t want to come.” Charles would look like a sympathetic figure. Instead, six years later, the Windsors are still acting like Christmas-at-Sandringham is some coveted invitation and they’re snubbing the Sussexes yet again. And William needs to stop talking, my god. “He knows he’d probably get quite a frosty reception from most of the family.” They’re all laughing at you, Peg.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid. Christmas cards courtesy of the Sussexes/Archewell.
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- Vancouver, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex at Wheelchair Curling in Hillcrest Recreation Centre during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex BACKGRID USA 9 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Whistler Welcome Celebration for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. She delivers a heartfelt speech praising Prince Harry’s dedication to the Games and their family. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Whistler Welcome Celebration for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. She delivers a heartfelt speech praising Prince Harry’s dedication to the Games and their family. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Whistler, CANADA – Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, attends the Whistler Welcome Celebration for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. She delivers a heartfelt speech praising Prince Harry’s dedication to the Games and their family. Pictured: Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 10 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Vancouver, CANADA – Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex at the Closing Ceremony in Rogers Arena during Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 in Canada. Pictured: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex BACKGRID USA 16 FEBRUARY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Oh noes! Another year of missing out on snobbery and unseasoned food!
I just choked on my coffee laughing 😂
Now that was funny! The British press really seems to think spending Christmas with a bunch of hateful racists who will report every nuanced move the Sussex family makes to the press is something to look forward to.
William and Kate probably would have found a reason not to come if Harry’s family agreed to attend and that would create another media firestorm.
From what is being said regarding the rift between Charles and William, who knows if WanK will even be there.
Exactly! The racism, coldness and unseasoned food. Yikes!
And the annual family weigh in! Oh darn! Im sure Harry, Meghan and the children will be so determined to mend their wicked ways now! Oh wait–it isnt them who needs to change, that’s right.
Whew that was a close one. (Eyeroll)
And Kate’s chutney!
After witnessing the shambolic horror that was Kate’s attempt at pancakes, I shudder to think what was going on in those jars of chutney.
Maybe Richard “Maureen” Eden can use his connections to score Kate some As Ever 🥞 or crepes mix, as a token thank you for all the dog chow he’s received from her brother.
They just can’t resist shooting themselves in the 🍆 over at the palaces.
With decades of experience from all their shooting parties, you’d think they’d learn to avoid self inflicted injury by now.
These courtiers who think they’re so much smarter than their principals, yes, we’re talking about you, Clive – are an absolute bag of clowns if they think this makes anyone on Abandonment Issues Island look in any way superior.
Besides, the Duchess of Success has a holiday special to film and promote. The Sussex family is already BOOKED and BUSY.
And we are far more interested in what Meghan’s Christmas 🎄 is about rather than what the leftovers are doing for theirs.
I’m surprised they haven’t started spinning it that Archie and Lili want to come to Sandringham for Christmas, and Harry and Meghan won’t let them. Every year talking about how someone isn’t invited somewhere they didn’t ask to go, and how someone they don’t want to talk to, won’t speak to them.
I do wonder how the cousins Windsor and Spencer feel about William. I can’t believe given his role in the family that he’s always saved his anger and control issues for Harry alone. We’ve never really seen him with the Spencer side, but for a little bit there that they were pretending that he was best friends with the Tindalls and Peter Phillips. Hanging out bike riding, and at parks, and the older kids babysitting the younger Wales’. You haven’t seen leaked photos of them together in a while, or even articles about it. I guess once it didn’t serve his purpose of making Harry jealous he didn’t care.
Pretty sure the Sussexes have established Christmas traditions with their own family and would not make that long trek to sit around bored. But also agree Charles could easily extend an open invitation to the Sussexes for Christmas. Just messiness from the Windsor’s as usual
The Waleses’ should count themselves lucky if Meghan bothered enough to send the them a fruitcake from the Figi’s catalog.
WanK aren’t worth mustering a single glace cherry IMO.
Ugh—is Figi still around? Those fruitcakes were horrible. Granted, I’m not a fc fan, but…
Some of my relatives had a holiday game of regifting the same fruitcake every year. No idea where it came from, but nobody wanted to eat it, so some joker took it home, wrapped it up again, and stuck it under the tree for an unsuspecting rellie. Whoever received it got to choose the next victim.
It was hilarious every time that tin would pop up! This went on for years.
Shocking news. Just shocking.
Oh dear, I’m sure that Harry doesn’t want to eat his Christmas dinner when his children are in another room sharing their Christmas dinner with the servants. Who is this friend? Another unnamed source.
Platell excludes Meghan and just mentions harry. Keen could sit next to harry and try to play peacemaker. How dreary
Edit. Meant Katie Nicholl
Peacemaker, schmeacemaker. More like Kate would spend the dinner staring at, longing for, and flirting with the prince Meghan “stole” from her.
Yep, yet another anonymous source. I know Katie Nicholl’s been ill, but I just can’t find it within myself to wish her well. Particularly as she’s been implicated in the upcoming ANL unlawful information gathering case (she worked for The Daily Fail back in the day).
I feel like the Sussexes and Doria probably spend all day in matching holiday PJs and have fresh OJ (mimosas for the adults) and homemade cinnamon rolls and a delicious dinner with any friends who want to join them, holiday PJs required. Meghan probably plays old school christmas carols starting november 1 and Harry is probably obsessed with assembling toys “for the kids” but everyone laughs bc they know that electric scooter or fourwheeler or pop a shot or play kitchen is more for him (just some things we have spent hours assembling at midnight on xmas eve lol. Well my husband.)
Who would trade that for Sandringham??
Platell does not mention Meghan and the children. Platell think s harry is desperate to go there and by himself
Yes, when one has cancer, one’s life feels very long. One can plan to spend time with their family a few years from now.
I see that once again, Meghan and Archie and Lili are not even mentioned at all by these people. Sick.
But, don’t worry, Katie housekeeper abuser Nicholls, Harry – and his WIFE and their children – will be enjoying Queen Doria, true friends, good food, 18 bathrooms, fun presents, sunshine, palm trees, safety, and PEACE for Christmas in CA.
These writers want harry not to go back to meghan and the children and keen following harry around wanting to be peace maker.
I think they very publicly “don’t invite” Harry every year because they see the one doing the snubbing as the one in the position of power.
If they publicly invited the Sussexes and the Sussexes didn’t come, the left behinds fear that would make them look weak. And that’s the worst possible thing they can imagine.
I feel like that’s a motivation behind all of Peg’s constant insistence that “he’s never talking to Harry ever ever again!!”.
It’s because he wants to be seen as the one doing the rejecting, the one in the position of power in the relationship.
The preemptive snubbing of people who historically DGAF doesn’t make the Windsors look strong, though. It does the exact opposite. It’s a cry for relevance that weakens their position the moment it is uttered.
Her Late Maj’s motto was ‘Never Complain, Never Explain’. Because to do either is an admission of weakness.
Both King and heir show their weaknesses to the world like this, daily. It’s a shame that their courtiers are too stupid and self involved to give either of them better counsel. Is Tommy Lascelles birling in his grave yet?
I agree with everything @Helen said. They don’t realize that strategy only works when you have something the other person wants.
You are 100% correct. How would it look if the firm invited them and they said “PASS”.
🎯
I can’t see Meghan allowing her kids to be put in that situation and be used in front of the cameras. When it comes to the kids, I don’t think they trust any of these people. We all know the tea – this reunion is for Harry and Harry only.
Like the bitter ex saying I dumped you constantly even though he was dumped by his ex
Why are we doing this again. Surely the British press (I know this is VF but Katie Nicholl is royal editor) realizes that Harry and Meghan are not interested in spending Christmas at Sandringham.
It’s the BM’s holiday ritual – office party, gift exchange, Christmas caroling, writing a piece about Harry not being invited…
This friend of the royals as a source…. As if there is such a person not a friend to any particular royal but to the royals generally and would know who gets invited to family holidays. Pleeeze!
Given the relationship between William and Charles, do the Wales’s show up for Christmas? Sure, they’ll be in Norfolk, but that doesn’t mean they’ll bother going to Sandringham. That’s the advantage of having Amner Hall. They can easily just participate in the Christmas walk only. I imagine Christmas would be absolutely dreary with Charles and Camilla, who scampers off to spend Christmas with her own family. This year, imagine how awful it would be for Eugenie and Beatrice if they go. And their young children separated from them. Charles is no patriarchy he’s not even a decent Grandpa. The late Queen gathered her family together at Christmas. Charles presiding over Christmas is empty tradition. It would not be hard to imagine that each of the families would like to have their own Christmas. If truth be told, I’ll bet everyone would be happier if Charles just did his Christmas lunch, and decamped to spend Christmas with Camilla and her family. Mind you, that could be awkward if Parker-Bowles shows up.
This has low key become my yearly prompting to start looking at flights. Time for me to get on that, lol
Oh no….. this means Harry will get to spend his holiday peacefully his immediate family instead of having his young children shipped to the nursey with a bunch of strangers, while he sits around following protocol down to when he can start and stop eating while his brother & sil think about more ways they can feed his wife to the UK media….oh my what Harry do??
In what universe is a dreary Sandringham Christmas preferable to, say, being stranded at a snowed-in airport eating leftover chicken tenders and sleeping on the floor? Oh that’s right — none.
“I’m not inviting you to some place you don’t even want to go, so there! Take that!” I’m sure the Sussexes will be devastated.
Do they just recycle these stupid articles? What are they trying to distract from now, Kate’s lies? Ugh!
They bring this up every year. It’s a non/issue at this point. This tradition will most likely die with Charles.
Is it still a tradition? Didn’t they all run away last Christmas after the church walk? Even Camilla to her own family?
I’m sure Archie and Lili are taught British Christmas traditions and they are celebrated in the Monteceito manse.
Why would Harry want to uproot his children during Christmas time. They probably don’t know any of those people and would miss their toys and friends for the holidays. They most likely have their own traditions that they celebrate for Christmas. Time for the
British media to move on and stop rehashing this old crap.
Do you know who else isn’t getting an invite?
Me.
Do you know who couldn’t care less?
Me AND the Sussexes. All of them.
Do you know who is going to have awesome Christmases anyway? with better food?
Me AND the Sussexes. Separately, unfortunately lol
Boring! Rinse and repeat! Year after year!.
Yes, the holidays are a good time to remind the world just how much the royal left-behinds lack generosity of spirit. Yikes, what a bunch of Scrooges. Please remind them that “hate is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”.
Of all the lies the rota peddle, this is among the most annoying: “Harry has to pass the trust test.”
Harry can be trusted. Harry doesn’t leak. The left-behinds do.
That is the only thing this completely unreliable and unethical press can really do. It can provoke outrage from everyone. The royalists can scream with their heads red, “Right, he has betrayed our trust on a daily basis, he needs to fall on his knees for all this”, and their blood pressure rises and rises. And we can be beside ourselves at the brazen injustice and lies they are spreading. Goal achieved, right?
We are all part of this culture of outrage. That’s fine with me, I just think you have to keep reminding yourself of the insane manipulation these people do for a living. We are adults. But these media platforms are doing exactly the same thing to our children in other echo chambers.
I feel the same outrage at their lies and the state of the world. I went from thinking they were just an outdated feudalistic institution with untalented people which should be abolished, to seeing them and their attack dogs as downright evil, horrible people. Scum of the earth.
Does Charles have enough time left on this earth to slow-walk this “reconciliation”?
There are only two options: he doesn’t really have cancer, or hates his own son. No one can be this weak. The fact he has never put out a statement to correct these awful reporters and courtiers puts him in the category of a sociopath just like the American dictator he just fēted.